Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sigma-delta modulator architecture and a method for implementing the same, more specifically to a sigma-delta modulator architecture capable of both low power consumption performance and dynamic range extension, and a method for implementing the same.
Descriptions of the Related Art
In recent years, with evolutions of integrated circuit designs and process technologies, the application scope of sigma-delta modulators gets wider and wider. Applications of sigma-delta modulators are ranged widely from audio signal processing circuits, such as walkman, sounder and hearing aid for medical use, to biomedical instrument, such as electrocardiographic signal measurement instrument. Also, the evolution of integrated circuit designs requires not only high efficiency, but also low cost and low power consumption. Thus, designers also consider very much with perfect designs that meet requirements for products.
Mostly current technologies only allow improvement of a single function for a circuit. For example, multiple feedback architecture in combination with feedforward path and local feedback are design methods used frequently for increasing dynamic range, such that circuit area and power consumption are increased significantly. Additionally, in traditional design technologies for extending dynamic range, quantizers are redesigned, or hardware is redesigned and architecture is specified again according to specific requirement. However, much time is consumed and design cost is increased indirectly in the design process accordingly.
Therefore, a new sigma-delta modulator architecture and a method for implementing the same to overcome the shortages of conventional technologies described above, such as circuit area being increased significantly and power consumption being increased by increasing dynamic range of sigma-delta modulator, or design time and cost being increased because hardware is redesigned according to specific requirement, are subjects the industry desires to address.